Cinema Tropical Presents a Free Screening of “Nelson Freire” with the Acclaimed Pianist in Attendance at Americas Society

NELSON FREIRE

A film by João Moreira Salles
(Brazil, 2003, 102 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles)

“In films such as Noticias de Uma Guerra Particular, Joao Moreira Salles has demonstrated a keen interest in examining the dark underbelly of Brazilian society. But in this, his most recent documentary, he turns his eye to an aspect of his country that merits celebration.

Nelson Freire is probably one of the best-kept secrets in the world of the piano. The international press has acclaimed him as one of the greatest pianists of our time, comparing him to legendary greats such as Sergei Rachmaninov, Alfred Cortot, Josef Hofmann, Arthur Rubinstein, and Glenn Gould. Despite many accolades and commendations, however, Freire has avoided the spotlight, focusing on developing himself musically. Salles explains that in doing the documentary he wished to explore the idea of pudor or the tremendous modesty that Freire manifests toward exhibiting himself as a celebrity.

The film eschews the usual interviews with friends and witnesses in favor of a direct cinema approach that lets Freire’s modesty and candor shine through, eloquently and cinematically. Highlights include discussions of the revered pianists Guiomar Novaes and Martha Argerich, Freire’s love for American jazz and Hollywood cinema of the 1940s, and an incredible letter that his father wrote him when Freire was eight. This is a moving portrait of the soul of a unique Brazilian musician. Watching it, one understands what it is to be—no, one feels oneself becoming—more fully human.”